Quote:
Originally Posted by Strange Brew
Tanev is a nice player but we don't need to go looking for awards for players like that. The more awards there are, the less meaningful they are.
The names of the real NHL awards honor the history of the game. If you want to change that and honor the greatest players by naming awards after them, the list is awfully long before you get to Rod Langway.
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I agree, but there is clearly a need for this awards.
There is only one award for defensemen. They are almost always overlooked for the Hart and Ted Lindsay.
There are way fewer goaltenders than defensemen in the league, yet there are two goaltending awards.
Defensive defensemen are an entire class of player that are almost entirely overlooked on awards. It makes sense to have an award designated to them. Especially when they often have huge impacts on team success.
I think this award should have been implemented in the 2000s when defensive defensemen like Regehr were more prominent. But still, never late than never.
Even this year. Look at the Hamilton-Slavin pairing. Almost anyone familiar with that team would tell you that Slavin is a much better defenseman than Hamilton. Yet Hamilton got the Norris votes.
When Tanev was playing with Hughes, Tanev got very little credit outside of western Canada.
Even for the 1980s Flames. I don't think people realize how important Brad McCrimmon was. From 1985 to 1989, the guy averaged about +55 per year. On two different teams. Crazy. Yet stinking Lowe is in the HOF...